The present invention relates to a cartridge having a developer supply opening or an inlet hole detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine or a printer using an electrophotographic recording process or an electrostatic recording process or the like, and an image forming apparatus to which the cartridge is detachably mountable.
Recently, many copying machines and printers employ a so-called cartridge-type process making the maintenance operation easy.
For example, in the case of a printer using an electrophotographic recording technique, a photosensitive member and a developing device are contained as a unit in the cartridge, which is detachably mountable to the main assembly of the printer; or the photosensitive member and a cleaning device are contained as a unit in a cartridge in which a developing device constitutes another cartridge, which is detachably mountable to the main assembly of the printer. There are various types of cartridges.
Among them, there is a type in which the developing device and the developer supply container are separate so that the developer supply container can be independently exchangeable, thus permitting the developer, which is a consumable material, to be replenished. With this type of device, it is not necessary to exchange the constituent-element in the developing device, such as a developing roller, which has a relatively long service life, at each replenishment, and therefore, this type of device is preferable from the economic standpoint, and in addition, since the size of the cartridge may be small, the cartridge can be relatively easily exchanged.
However, when the cartridge is taken out of the main assembly of the printer, care should be taken to prevent the user""s hand from being contaminated.
Japanese Patent Application 11-337265 proposes that a toner discharge opening or an outlet hole of the toner cartridge and a toner receiving port of the process cartridge are brought into communication with each other in interrelation with mounting of the toner cartridge and the process cartridge to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus. As shown in FIG. 33, the toner outlet hole 23 of the toner cartridge is provided with a T shutter 27 having a substantially round configuration. A shutter cover 19, which is provided in the process cartridge, is provided with projections 19b, 19c. By doing so, when the toner cartridge and the process cartridge are mounted to or demounted from the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, the toner outlet hole 23 of the toner cartridge is closed by the T shutter 27 assuredly. More particularly, when the toner cartridge is inserted in the direction of arrow C into the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, the T shutter 27 (chain line) disposed in the bottom portion 26 of the container of the toner cartridge, is moved into the state indicated by a solid line in the direction of the arrow D by rotation about a shaft 28a while a projection 19b of the process cartridge is in engagement with a groove portion 27b. Thus, the toner outlet hole 23 is opened. FIG. 34 shows the behavior of rotation of the T shutter 27. When it is moved in the direction of arrow C, the T shutter 27 rotates so that opening 27a also moves.
On the other hand, a P shutter 18xe2x80x2 (chain line) that closes the receiving port 16 of the process cartridge, when the process cartridge is inserted into the main assembly of the image forming apparatus (in the direction of arrow A), a groove portion 18xe2x80x2z and a projection 36 provided in the image forming apparatus are engaged and rotated in the direction indicated by an arrow B, so that P shutter 18 takes the position indicated by the solid line, thus opening the receiving port 16.
On the other hand, when the toner cartridge is demounted from the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, the T shutter 27 rotates in the direction of arrow D about the shaft 28a with the engagement between the projection 19c of the process cartridge and the groove portion 27b, thus closing the toner outlet hole 23. In the demounting operation of the process cartridge, the operations are reverse.
With this technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application 11-337265, the shutter of the toner outlet hole of the toner cartridge can be closed from the demounting operation of the process cartridge or the toner cartridge. Even if the toner cartridge and the process cartridge are independently demounted from the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, the toner outlet hole can be opened and closed. In addition, the operations are assured because the opening and closing operations are carried out without use of urging means such as a spring, but are carried out by the demounting operation of the cartridge.
However, since the shutter of the toner cartridge rotates while being displaced, the track of the opening is elongated in the mounting-and-demounting direction (the direction indicated by the arrow C in FIG. 33), with the result of a higher possibility of toner leakage and scattering.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a cartridge and an image forming apparatus to which the cartridge is detachably mountable, in which the possibility of contamination of the user""s hands is lessened.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cartridge having a proper size of a developer inlet hole and an image forming apparatus to which the cartridge is detachably mountable.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cartridge and an image forming apparatus to which the cartridge is detachably mountable, in which the cartridge is provided with a developer inlet hole suitable to the size of the developer outlet hole of the developer supply container.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a unit detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, including a developer accommodating portion having a developer inlet hole; a first opening and closing member for opening and closing the inlet hole; and a second opening and closing member for opening and closing the inlet hole, the second opening and closing member being movable above the first opening and closing member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising a unit detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus, the unit including a developer accommodating portion having a developer inlet hole and a first opening and closing member for opening and closing the inlet hole, and a second opening and closing member, movable above the first opening and closing member, for opening and closing the inlet hole; and an engaging portion for being contacted by a predetermined portion of the unit when the unit is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus, wherein the opening and closing member is moved by the contact of the predetermined portion to the engaging portion.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a unit detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, comprising a developer accommodating portion having a developer inlet hole; an opening and closing member for opening and closing the inlet hole; wherein the inlet hole has a substantially parallelogram shape having an inner angle that is not a right angle.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: a unit detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus, the unit including a developer accommodating portion having an opening and closing member for opening and closing the inlet hole; and an engaging portion for being contacted by a predetermined portion of the unit when the unit is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus, wherein the opening and closing member is moved by the contact of the predetermined portion to the engaging portion; wherein the inlet hole has a substantially parallelogram shape having an inner angle which is not a right angle.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: a first unit detachably mountable to a main assembly of the operators, the first unit including a developer outlet hole and a movable shutter having a hole capable of exposing the outlet hole; a second unit detachably mountable to the main assembly of the apparatus, the second unit having a developer inlet hole for permitting passage of the developer falling from the outlet hole; wherein the shutter is movable in response to a relative motion between the first unit and the second unit; wherein a configuration of the inlet hole is along a track of an overlapped portion of the outlet hole and the hole which changes with mounting or demounting operation of the first or second unit.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.